Flexible shaft.



E. F. CURTIS.

-PLEXIBLE SHAFT.

PPLIOATIOH FILED ATRS, 190B.

Patented 1360.8,1908

Witnesses.'

'1. UNITED' sTATEs I PATENT oEEioE.

EDWIN FORREST CURTIS, OF OIJEAN, NEW YORK.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

Patented Dec. s, 190s.

Application filed April 23, 1908, Serial No. 428,851.

tionof parts hereinafterfully describedy and claimed.

More particularly, this invention has reference to the means of transmitting motion and power from any suitable driving shaft or apparatus which may be operated by any suitable motive power, to a movable object such as a tool or other appliance or to machinery, so that the same can be operated by power while its position is varied; or4

used in any desired position, ywithin its reach. W

The object of my invention is to provide an improved core or shaft'by combining a number of small steel wires, material, into strands and intertwlning or i interla'eing or plaiting two or more of these lstrands into a flexible core or shaft of' such -a character that in revolving the different wires,1or other elastic material, 'may change its position but not the molecules of any one wire.

v. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved outer coyerin or casing for the said core or shaft by sti ening any iiexi le material with steel wires, or any elastic material, placed at suitable and'convenient distances. and suiiicient numbers, run longitudinally the whole length'of said covering or casing inthe mannerI hereinafter fully described. And a further object of this invention 'is to` provide one vor both. of said parts of this construction so that they can be produced atcomparatively small cost, separately or in combination.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the novel features and the combination and especially the arrangement, of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and iilstrated in the vaccompanying drawings in whichl Figure 1. is a perspective view of the flexible core or shaft and its appurtenances bent at a right angle, embodylng my invention,'with a portion of the flexible cover reor anyk elastic .moved Fig. 2. is a section of the shaft detached, and Fig. 3. represents a traverse section of the'flexible wire, or other elastic material, shaft and its improved casing.

In the drawings, A is the'casing for my improvedlexible core or shaft, the body of which is supported by a resilient element G., covered with leather or other flexible' material, which is stiflened by a suilicient number of small steel wires, or the like, H., placed longitudinally the whole length of said casing A and securely fastened to it (A) by means of small staples I.

C and E represent any suitable driving shaft or bearing device but forms no part of this invention.

B and D denote the substantially round, rigid driving collar or journal bearing formed byA means of the ends of said core 'or shaft F, being securely fastened with solder, or other suitable material or compound and to which anysuitable -driving shaft or bearing device, C and E, may be attached. And F denotes my improved shaft or core, as clearly shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, composed of ltwo or more strands but preferably of three strands as shown, eachof these strands being composed of a suitable number of any flexible material, preferably of-steel wires, which insures its strength and elasticity.

The said wires being twisted, laced or d plaited but not wrapped together in variable numbers all sizes of cores or shafts may be made (for light or heavy work) and the three strands, composing the said core or shaft F, being twisted, laced or plalted but not wrapped, with their ends securely fastened, allows the said shaft or core to be revolved, forward or backward, at any deslred speed.

While I have shown and describedthe pre? -ferred embodiment of my invention 1t will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise showing her'ein set forth, smce various changes in theform, roportion and minor details may be 4resorte to without departing from the spiritl or sacrificing any of the advantages of` my invention. .i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The stiifened casing or covering herein described, composed of any suitable flexible material, with a suiiicient numbervf steel wires, securely fastened to it, extending longitudinally the whole length of the casing, said casing or covering being supported by a resilient element, preferably a coiled shaft consisting of two or more strands, each strand composed of any desired number of steel Wires,.twiste d together, securely fastened at both ends for the transmission of power, When revolved; and the shaft or core being incased in a stiffened casing or covering', composed of any suitable flexible material, with a suficient number of steel Wires, securely fastened to it, 'extending longitudinally the Whole length of the casing, said casing or covering being supported by a resilient element, preferably a coiled spring.

3. As an article of manufacture, the combination of a iexible shaft, consisting of three strands, composed of any desired number of steel Wires7 twisted together and securely Vfastened at both ends for the trans-- ported by a resilient element, preferably acoiled spring.

In testmonywhereof I hereunto affix 'my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN FORRE ST CURTIS.

Witnesses:

E. A. JUDDL EDGAR A.- SMrrH. 

